White Beaked Dolphin

The white-beaked dolphin, like all dolphins, belongs to the toothed whales.

It is extremely fast swimmer and comes frequently leaping towards ships and boats. The white-beaked dolphin doesn’t remain submerged for a long period of time, stays close to the surface, and is constantly on the move. It uses the flukes to propel themselves out of the water to spout. The dolphin generally feeds on various small fish, such as mackerel and herring, or squid.

The population size is estimated to be 10,000-12,000 animals; it’s believed to be permanent resident in Icelandic waters. Occasionally, large groups of white-beaked dolphins can be seen in the fjords and bays, but they usually travel in smaller groups of 5-10 animals. This is the most common dolphin being spotted on whale watching trips around Iceland.